9 Blazing Hot Marijuana Startups

Will Yakowicz is an award-winning journalist and a staff writer and podcaster for Inc. magazine.

Before Inc., he reported from the West Bank and Moscow for Tablet Magazine; he covered business, crime, and local politics for The Brooklyn Paper; and he was the editor of Park Slope Patch. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

The national cannabis industry, which is worth about $50 billion right now, has seen a huge influx of startups trying to cash in on the green rush. From technology and apps to growing equipment and staffing agencies, take a look at the hottest startups and early-stage companies Inc. found peddling their wares in Denver during the 4/20 pot-smoker's holiday.

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Colorado Cannabis Tours

Michael Eymer, the founder of Colorado Cannabis Tours, helps tourists book pot-friendly hotels in Denver and brings each customer a goody bag of pot to their room. His company also does tours of local cannabusinesses. Each Saturday, Eymer brings buses full of out-of-towners to a few dispensaries, a glass blower, and Medicine Man's grow house. In this picture, Eymer (left) stands with Medicine Man co-founder Pete Williams during the 4/20 festivities.

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Bhang Medicinal Chocolate

In 2010, Scott Van Rixel, a well-known chocolatier from Chocolate Cartel (a maker of pot-free goodies), founded cannabis-infused edible and vape company Bhang Medicinal Chocolate in California. Four years later, Van Rixel sold 60 percent of his company, which makes products such as chocolate, gum, and vape pens, to Mentor Capital for $39 million.

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Loto Labs

Founded by tech entrepreneur Neeraj Bhardwaj, Loto Labs raised $228,000 through an Indiegogo campaign for its high-end induction-powered vaporizer, dubbed the Evoke. The magnet-powered vape, which is the first of its kind, was engineered by Cambridge physics PhD Andrew Bleloch. It comes complete with wood paneling, a ceramic mouthpiece, and Bluetooth sensors so you can customize heat settings and monitor battery life via a smartphone app. The Redwood City, California, company is now being courted by Silicon Valley VCs.

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Flowhub

Founded by Chase Wiseman (pictured) and Kyle Sherman, Flowhub is a weed-tech company poised to disrupt the current software businesses offering seed-to-sale logistics to pot growers and retailers. Marijuana social network MassRoots just took an equity stake in the company, which is still in private beta, and plans to expand its tracking system to more dispensaries and other customers.

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JaneFour20

Founded by payment startup entrepreneur Jeff Foster, Denver-based JaneFour20's cash machine kiosks will be deployed in 25 dispensaries by June 2015. The kiosks take pot orders, collect cash from customers, and record every transaction to ensure financial compliance. The kiosks will make sure dispensaries are not laundering money and help pot businesses and banks forge trusting relationships.

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iGrow

The Beachwood, Ohio-based iGrow, which makes induction light bulbs for grow houses, says its bulbs will last for 10 years and help businesses produce more cannabis. Induction light is the brightest alternate UV light on the market and promotes photosynthesis, the company says. According to co-founder Cary Senders, iGrow just entered an agreement to provide the U.S. government's marijuana farm at the University of Mississippi with all of its lights.

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Grow Buddy

For the past 80 years, data from cannabis grow houses has been lost to the black market. Best practices, the most popular types of cannabis, and the best nutrients to use have all been passed on by word of mouth. Now, however, iOS and Android app Grow Buddy can help marijuana growers collect data on their grows and improve their yield. Built by Daniel Starbuck and David Standard, the Nevada-based Grow Buddy recently hired Rob Rusher as CEO.

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Magical Butter

Founded by Garyn Angel, Magical Butter sells a kitchen appliance that helps pot enthusiasts make THC-infused butter and oil. Last year, the Seattle-based company sold an average of 4,500 units per month.

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Hemp Temps

Growing and selling marijuana is a time- and labor-intensive process, especially for large grow houses that need to harvest hundreds of plants. Denver-based Hemp Temps is one of the largest temporary staffing agencies for the cannabis industry, providing marijuana companies with trimmers, harvesters, and any other workers they need for a short amount of time.